The California High-Speed Rail Authority stands as a prime
example of the confusing mess that passes for transportation
project planning in this state.
Veteran Sacramento columnist Dan Walters nails the authority board
as merely "politicians and political appointees with side
agendas."
The funding for the bullet train, both for 800 miles of dual track
between L.A. and San Francisco and later, the shorter route from
L.A. to San Diego, initially came from a ballot measure approved by
voters in 2009.
That only kicks in $9 billion, but even that could cost the state
$1 billion a year in debt service paid out of the already tightly
squeezed general fund. Since then, more money has been thrown at
the project by the federal government after the states of Florida,
Ohio and Wisconsin declined to build projects. The feds, which put
a rush on the project, said its $3.6 billion allocation must be
spent soon, so the authority hastily decided to build the first leg
from Borden to Corcoran in the Central Valley. No one objected,
perhaps because much of the population in Corcoran is prison
inmates.
Last week, a Legislative Analyst's Office report said the project
cost is severely underestimated. What the authority says will cost
$43 billion would most likely cost $67 billion - and no one knows
where the extra cash would come from. The LAO also blasted the
authority, concluding it has neither the staff nor the expertise to
see it through to fruition.
We are not against the idea of a high-speed rail whisking
passengers from L.A. to the Bay Area in 2 hours 40 minutes, or from
L.A. through the Inland Empire to San Diego in 80 minutes.
It's just the way the state is going about this that worries us.
What if only part gets built due to funding running out? Why start
with the middle of the track in the Central Valley? Why not start
in Los Angeles, the largest population center? Why are political
appointees best able to build a bullet? Can we trust them with such
an expensive project?
Not another penny should be spent until the Legislature has a clear
idea of how much it will cost and whether it has the funding to
build the whole thing. This year, the Legislature ought to remove
the $185 million in funding from the 2011-12 budget and give only a
biding-time $7 million, as the LAO suggested.
Second, no funding until all local rights-of-way are determined.
Third, the first tracks should be laid where there are people, not
in an isolated part of the Central Valley.
Some argue that throwing the project in the lap of Caltrans, an
agency tied to the cash-strapped state, is questionable. But
Caltrans knows how to build projects.
Finally, whatever agency is in charge, all the rights-of-way should
be settled before the first rail spike is driven.
We agree with Long Beach state Sen. Alan Lowenthal, who chairs the
select committee on high-speed rail: "Let's slow this down because
we've got to get it right."
